Ukraine has struck a major rocket and space facility in Samara. (Photo: X/Enhanced by AI) Ukraine has launched what Russian authorities described as a “massive attack” on targets inside Russia, including a major rocket and space facility in Samara that is involved in the development of satellites. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Progress Rocket Space Centre in Samara, south-western Russia, was among the targets. The facility is the main production centre for Russia's Soyuz-2 rockets and also develops Earth-observation and military spacecraft. Videos shared on social media appeared to show the TsSKB-Progress complex in Samara on fire, with thick plumes of smoke rising above the site. Zelenskyy said the strike was intended to reduce Russia's ability to wage war against Ukraine. “It is important that Russia's war potential be reduced. Peace is needed, and this must be evident in Russia – through concrete damage to specific facilities,” he said in a post on X. Ukrainian forces reportedly used FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles in the attack. Kyiv has shared footage purporting to show two Flamingo launches targeting Samara. The missile is a Ukrainian-made cruise weapon reported to have a range of up to 1,860 miles and a one-tonne warhead. The potential targeting of the Progress facility is significant because Russia is developing its own satellite communications network, known as Rassvet, which is intended to provide secure internet connectivity for military operations. Rassvet has been described as Russia's answer to Elon Musk's Starlink satellite network, which has played an important role in Ukraine's communications and drone operations during the war. Russia has sought to accelerate development of its own system after Russian forces were barred from using Starlink. Ivan Noskov, head of the Samara regional capital, said Russian air defences had repelled a “massive attack”. “Samara's industrial infrastructure sustained localised damage,” he said in an online post, without identifying the facility involved. Noskov said there had been casualties and that he was working with the management of the enterprise and emergency services at the scene. Ukraine has increasingly used domestically produced long-range weapons to strike military and industrial targets deep inside Russia. Ukraine also targeted the Savasleyka military airfield in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region, Zelenskyy said. The airfield, east of Moscow, is home to Russian MiG-31K aircraft, which can carry Kinzhal hypersonic missiles used in attacks against Ukraine. Large explosions were reported at the airbase overnight.